Data Visualization in Society

Martin Engebretsen Helen Kennedy

9789463722902

464 pages

Amsterdam University Press

Overview

Today we are witnessing an increased use of data visualization in society. Across domains such as work, education and the news, various forms of graphs, charts and maps are used to explain, convince and tell stories. In an era in which more and more data are produced and circulated digitally, and digital tools make visualization production increasingly accessible, it is important to study the conditions under which such visual texts are generated, disseminated and thought to be of societal benefit. This book is a contribution to the multi-disciplined and multi-faceted conversation concerning the forms, uses and roles of data visualization in society. Do data visualizations do 'good' or 'bad'? Do they promote understanding and engagement, or do they do ideological work, privileging certain views of the world over others? The contributions in the book engage with these core questions from a range of disciplinary perspectives.

Author Bio

Martin Engebretsen is Professor of Language and Communication at University of Agder and director of the INDVIL project (indvil.org), which provides the inspiration for this book.
Helen Kennedy is Professor of Digital Society at the University of Sheffield. Her research traverses digital landscapes. She is especially interested in the datafication of everyday life.